Medford Local elections

Medford Local elections are tomorrow, Nov 3rd - VOTE!

Polling Times: Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Find your polling location:

http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.aspx

Sample Ballot:
http://www.medfordma.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/November-3-2015-Sample-Election-Ballot.pdf

I will be voting for:

BALLOT QUESTION (vote yes or no)

Should the City of Medford accept the Community Preservation Act?

YES

MAYOR (vote for 1 of 2)

Stephanie Muccini Burke

http://www.burke2016mayor.com/

CITY COUNCIL (vote for 7 of 14)

Neil Osborne 
https://neilosborneformedford.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NeilOsborneforMedford
Present member of the Community Development Board

Comments: passionate, involved, formerly NAACP

Responded to arts survey

George A. Scarpelli 
http://www.votescarpelli.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeScarpelli1?fref=nf
Present member of the Medford School Committee

Comments: Statistical models!

Mark C. Crowley 
http://www.crowleyformedford.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CrowleyForMedford

Comments: supports term limits!

Attended debate

Breanna Lungo-Koehn 

No website found
Candidate for Re-nomination, Present City Councillor

Comments: Responded to arts survey

Christopher D’Aveta 
http://www.daveta.com/about-chris-daveta/
Comments: neutral - little issue substance on website

Responded to arts survey

Attended debate

Michael C. Ruggiero 
https://www.facebook.com/takegovernment
http://takegovernment.com/

Comments: seems slightly quirky, but passionate. Has obviously put time into understanding Medford's affairs

John C. Falco Jr. 
http://www.johnfalco.org/home.html
Current Vice Chair of the Medford School Committee

Responded to arts survey

---------------------

NOT voting for:

MAYOR

Bob Pent

https://www.facebook.com/PentaForMedford/

CITY COUNCIL

Michael J. Marks
http://marksformedford.com/
Comments: No - 14 years incumbent

Responded to arts survey

Frederick N. Dello Russo Jr.
No website found.
Candidate for Re-nomination, Present City Councillor, Council President
Comments: No - 10 year incumbent

Attended debate

Neal E. McSweeney
No website found

Comments: Attended debate

Adam Knight 
http://www.knight4council.com/
https://www.facebook.com/knight4council?fref=nf
Candidate for Re-nomination, Present City Councillor

Comments: nothing wrong with him, but not interesting. 

Attended debate

William J. O’Keefe Jr.
https://www.facebook.com/okeefecitycouncil
http://www.billokeefe.com/
Former member of the Medford School Committee
Comments: No - incoherent on website

Attended debate

Richard F. Caraviello
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rick-Caraviello-Medford-City-Council/149545795113929
Candidate for Re-nomination, Present City Councillor, 4 years
Comments: No? virtually no info

Leonore J. Eforo 
No website found

----------
Failing to vote on:

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Ann Marie Cugno, Erin A. Dibenedetto, Robert Emmett Skerry Jr., Paulette H. Van Der Kloot, John J. Amirault, Kathleen P. Kreatz, David J. McKillop Jr., Christopher Adam Murphy, Mea Quinn Mustone, Jane M. Wright

Nov 5th: Medford Local Elections

Tomorrow, November 5th, is the Medford municipal election for mayor, city council, and school committee. Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm. You can check your polling location here.

 

Mayor

The mayoral election features 13 term (26 year) mayor Michael J. McGlynn against challenger Anthony D'Antonio. 

Mayor Michael J. McGlynn  City mayor website  WickedLocal article
Anthony D’Antonio   Campaign website  WickedLocal article 

 

I'll be voting for Anthony D'Antonio over Mayor McGlynn, in large part because I think 26 years is quite enough for anyone to hold the same office. McGlynn has done some good work, but seems focused primarily on finishing the projects he has already started, not taking on new challenges. I'm also strongly swayed by the fact that D'Antonio advocates a modernized, user-friendly website for the city which I must say it desperately needs. Mayor McGlynn doesn't see the need for making information on project bids and city spending available online. He strikes me as behind the times in terms of technology - he doesn't even have a personal/campaign website. I honestly can't say I think D'Antonio is brilliant, but I sure do think McGlynn's time has past.

City Council

The Medford city council consists of 7 seats for a term of 2 years. All 7 seats are up for re-election tomorrow. There are 13 candidates: 6 incumbents and 7 challengers. You can vote for up to 7 candidates.

Incumbents;
Robert Penta   WickedLocal article
Breanna Lungo-Koehn   WickedLocal article
Michael Marks   WickedLocal article   Campaign website
Paul Camuso   WickedLocal article
Fred Dello Russo Jr.   WickedLocal article
Rick Caraviello   WickedLocal article   Campaign website

Challengers:
Bob Fitzpatrick   WickedLocal article   Campaign website
Neil Osborne   WickedLocal article   Campaign website
Jim Morse   WickedLocal article   Campaign website
Jeanne Martin   WickedLocal article   Campaign website
Robert Cappucci   WickedLocal article
Adam Knight    WickedLocal article   Campaign website
Mark Crowley   WickedLocal article   Campaign website

Choosing City Council candidates was a challenge for me. First, there are 13 candidates running for 7 seats; that's a lot of individuals to investigate. Second, none of the major issues in the race matter much to me: the building of a parking garage in the square, the enforcement of parking restrictions, the renovation of the police station. I don't really care what is decided on these. So as a first pass at narrowing down the candidates, I looked to see which ones have campaign websites. In my opinion, if you're running for election and don't have a website in 2013, you're not prepared for the present, much less the future. Sadly but unsurprisingly, that narrowed the field from 13 to 8. I'll be voting for:

 

Adam Knight

Mark Crowley

Neil Osborne

Bob Fitzpatrick

Rick Caraviello

Michael Marks

Jeanne Martin 

 

School Committee 

The Medford school committee is a 6 person body, elected every 2 years. This year, the 6 incumbents are running unopposed. You could write in an alternative, but otherwise these 6 will be re-elected.

 

John Falco, Erin DiBenedetto, Ann Marie Cugno, Paulette Van der Kloot, George Scarpelli and Robert E. Skerry Jr.

 

Useful in writing this post was:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/medford/news/x348804795/ELECTION-2013-Medford-election-guide

Vote 'em out! Wait, vote Brownsberger in!

Hey Medford, Waltham, Revere, Melrose, Natick, Framingham friends (and the rest of MA 5th Congressional district)! Know how it feels like Congress isn't representing us right now? It's literally true, because we don't have a Representative in the House at the moment.

The primary for the special election to fill now-Senator Ed Markey's former congressional seat is TOMORROW, October 15th.

If you want to check if this election is relevant to you, enter your address here and scroll to the bottom of the results. If you see "Congressional: VACANT  --  FIFTH DISTRICT", then this is for you. That page also reminds you where your polling station is.

I'll be voting in the Democratic primary for State Senator Will Brownsberger. He strikes me as a strong liberal with a particularly open-minded. Congress is suffering from a plague of absolutist thinking. Brownsberger understands that for government to function, both parties need to be willing to negotiate on all the issues. 

I am favorably impressed by his concern about privacy issues and support for pro-privacy legislation in MA, including opposing the expansion of wire tapping to include those suspected of minor offenses like drug possession, cosponsoring the Electronic Privacy Act which would update and strengthen protections related to email, phone, and location data, and cosponsoring the Act to Regulate the Use of Automatic License Plate Reader Systems. 

I am also totally wowed by his engagement with constituents. Where most politicians have an "On this Issues" page with brief, vague paragraphs, Brownsberger's website includes discussion forums where he not only answers questions, but actually engages in back and forth dialog with anyone who wants to write to him. Way to engage with constituents in the 21st century.

Read more about Brownsberger and the other Democratic candidates on their campaign websites (vaguely ordered by my preference): 

Will Brownsberger 

Karen Spilka

Carl Sciortino 

Katherine Clark 

Peter Koutoujian 

Martin Long 

Paul Maisano

If you're voting in the Republican primary, your options are (not ordered): 

Frank Addivinola 

Mike Stopa 

Tom Tierney

Vote Today!

How lucky are we that we live in a country where each of us has a voice in shaping our government by voting?  

Today is the special U.S. Senate election primary in Massachusetts to chose the Republican and Democratic candidates that will compete for John Kerry's vacated Senate seat next month. Please get out and vote today - the polls are open until 8pm. Remember that Unenrolled (i.e. "independent") voters can vote in either primary.

Your voting location is probably the same as it was in November, but check here:

I'm registered Unenrolled, and I'll be voting for Representative Ed Markey in the Democratic primary. I'm voting for Markey because he's focused on the future: on education, science and technology, climate change, and clean energy. It's critical that the present gridlock in Washington doesn't prevent us from planning for the future, and I believe Markey can help shift the focus from today's bickering to tomorrow's challenges and opportunities.

The candidates are:  

Democratic Primary: 

Stephen Lynch

Ed Markey

Republican Primary: 

Gabriel Gomez

Mike Sullivan 

Dan Winslow

MA friends, it's time to make a plan!

Hey guys, we're 3 days out from the election, and it's time to make a plan. There's a lot more going on than just the presidential race, and it's important to know the offices and candidates ahead of time. It's also important to know where your poling place is and when you can vote.

To find your poling place, go to this handy tool and enter the address where you're registered to vote. It will give you the address of your polling station. Click "Map it" if you don't recognize the location.

Think about when you can vote! The polls are open from 7am until 8pm. What hours are you working or busy that day? Your employer is required to give you 2 hours off to vote, IF you request it. (They do not have to pay you for these hours, however). Remember, there may be lines at the polls, so don't plan to arrive at 7:50pm, or right before you're due to start work.

Who are you voting for for state senator in your district? How about sheriff? There are a number of offices on that ballot that you may not be aware of. To find a list of all the state-wide offices and candidates, as well as the ballot questions, click "My State Ballot" on the page from above where you got your polling location.

I strongly encourage you to write down your preferred candidates on this handy form and take it into the polls with you.
I found I didn't know what all of the offices were, so here's a quick explanation:

ELECTORS OF PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT: President and Vice President of the US are elected, not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. The names of the candidates appear on the ballot, but what you're actually voting for is the electors pledged to vote for those candidates in the Electoral College. These electors were chosen by the parties.

SENATOR IN CONGRESS: MA (like all states) is allotted two Senators in the US Senate, who serve 6-year terms. Only one of them, Scott Brown, is up for re-election this year. John Kerry, MA's other Senator, will be up for election in 2014.

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS: MA is allotted 9 Congressmen in the US House of Representatives, who serve 2-year terms. This allotment is based on the state's population.The state is split into 9 geographical districts. Your choices for Representative are based on the district in which you're registered to vote.

COUNCILLOR: The MA Governor's Council is an 8-person body that advises and provides (or withholds) consent to the Governor on issues including judicial nominations, pardons, and other issues.
SENATOR IN GENERAL COURT: The MA General Court is the state legislature. There are 40 State Senators, elected by district for 2-year terms

REPRESENTATIVE IN GENERAL COURT: The MA General Court is the state legislature. There are 160 representatives, elected by district for 2-year terms.

CLERK OF COURTS: Administrator of the Middlesex Superior Court, 6-year term

REGISTER OF DEEDS: Maintains the records of land ownership. Middlesex County has two who serve 6-year terms.

SHERIFF: Head of the Sheriff's Department, a law enforcement body with duties distinct from those of local police

Voter Registration Reminder

Are you registered to vote this November? 

Even if it's obvious which way your state will go in the presidential election, there's a lot more to weigh in on. Congressional candidates, state congressional candidates, other state offices, local officials and ballot questions will also be on the ballot. Given the current gridlock in Congress and the direct impact of ballot questions, those decisions may well be much more important the the presidential one. Your vote matters.

Reminder that if you have moved since you last registered, you must re-register at your new address.

Massachusetts friends: 

MA requires voters to register at least 20 days in advance of an election. Since the election is November 6th, your registration form must be postmarked by October 17th. Don't delay! It's really easy - you can do it right now. Print the form here

The form requires your full 10 digit zip code. I didn't know mine, but you can look yours up here by entering your street address.

I strongly encourage you to register as "No Party (unenrolled)". As far as I can tell, there is no advantage in Massachusetts to registering with a party. Unenrolled voters are not excluded from the primaries as in other states; they may vote in either primary. Studies like this one show that party affiliation can override independent judgement. In the study, self-identified liberals indicated preference for a stringent welfare proposal over a generous one when told that the Democrats supported it, while the control group of self-identified liberals chose the opposite when given no party information. And analogous for self-identified conservatives. Isn't that horrifying? Do your mind a favor - register Unenrolled. (Yes, I realize this isn't a magic bullet to eliminate cognitive biases, but I think it's a step in the right direction.)

Pennsylvania friends:

PA requires that you register 30 days in advance of an election. Since the election is November 6th, your registration form must be postmarked by October 7th. That's less than 2 weeks from now. Don't delay! It's really easy - you can do it right now.

Pennsylvania (awesomely!) allows you to look up your registration status online here

If you find that you're not registered, or are registered at an old address, you can download a registration form here

IMPORTANT NOTE: Pennsylvania now requires ID in order to vote. You can find a full explanation here

Check that your ID meets the requirements. For most of us, it's pretty easy. A current driver's license or passport is good enough. Make sure you have it with you when you go to vote.

Pennsylvania, unfortunately, holds closed primaries. You must be registered with a party in order to vote in the primary. While I dislike the idea of identifying with a party, I think it's more important to vote in primaries than avoid party affiliation.

Coming Soon:

I'm working on another post that will outline all the decisions on the November ballot (except probably the local stuff) with links to the websites of each of the candidates.
 

Get out and vote...Republican!

Hey guys, tomorrow is Super Tuesday, the day when 10 states including Massachusetts hold presidential primaries or caucuses.

While the Democratic primary is not very interesting, MA voters registered as "Unenrolled" (commonly called "Independent") can vote in either primary.

Liberal-leaning unenrolled voters like me could vote in the Republican primary in a number of interesting ways:

1. Vote for the candidate they think they could live with as president (Romney for me - he's a moderate pretending to be a conservative and probably wouldn't do anything too horrible)

2. Vote for the candidate it would be satisfying to see Obama smush (Santorum for me - he panders to the lowest common denominator on crutial future-determining issues like education; yuck!)

3. Vote for a candidate who has no shot but stands for something you believe in (Paul for me - the only candidate in either party who seems interested in defending basic freedoms)

If you're not sure if you're registered or what party you're registered with, you can check by calling your town clerk's office, list here:

Check your registration status:

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleclk/clkidx.htm

If you know you're registered at your current address, you can check your voting location with this tool:

Find your poling place:
http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php

Have fun!